Quote:
Originally Posted by Half-Axed
Halifax overall has very few really "urban" feeling streetscapes. Downtown Halifax and Downtown Dartmouth, some bits of the north end, a few "main streets" here and there in specific old neighbourhoods.
Keep in mind this is a development forum, so discussing the nature of neighbourhoods in "urban areas" is hardly inane or silly. It's pretty key to what kind of place you want the city to develop into. Do you want more sprawling subdivisions that have no retail? Do you want more fine-grained mixed-commercial residential? Something in between? How do you balance walkability and drivability? Vibrancy and quiet enjoyment? It matters.
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I think you summed it up with "urban feeling", which I'm sure you can see is very subjective. The reason I feel that this particular exchange has been inane and silly is that it's based on opinions, or grey area, where one poster has stated that it should be considered an urban area based on the location and history of the neighbourhood, and others have dug their heels in because it doesn't fit their definition of what should be considered urban. Then, when the poster did not conform to their opinions, the tone turned to condescension and became somewhat insulting.
IMHO the definition of what entails being 'urban' has changed quite a bit over the past couple of decades, and those of us who have been in the area might feel differently from the 'it's not urban if it's not like Manhattan' crowd. I added my opinion based on my history with the area, and nobody discussed that. In fact you only had issue with my qualifier of the discussion. So are we really discussing development and planning, or is it just a 'my way or the highway' type of forum? These have become the days of choosing sides and defending to the death, even when the prize being fought over is inconsequential, or in this case nonexistent.
Welcome, by the way, as I see your post count is at 2. Unless you've been lurking for quite some time, you might not know that these types of disagreements happen on this forum from time to time. We have several people here from varying backgrounds, and many with strong opinions... so heads occasionally butt, and sparks occasionally fly. Then they fizzle out. No harm no foul, and hopefully nobody wakes up in the morning thinking about it - because none of it is really that important in the grand scheme of things.
Have a good night.